Can Lorena

Palma Calling

You love Palma, or the idea of Palma if you haven’t yet experienced this vibrant Balearic city. But you need a bit of peace and quiet on your holiday, not the noise of the city. You love the aesthetics of tradition more than some gleaming white box that could be anywhere and yet age should be graceful not gloomy, it should always be tempered by comfort, elegance and light. Is a countryside villa that is close to Palma, a building that respects its surroundings and its ancestry while offering discrete luxury and being gorgeous, too much to ask?

No. You can have it all at Can Lorena.

You approach a solid stone building that breathes old Mallorca. Its walls must have been there forever and nurtured many generations of some local family; the wooden shutters are pleasingly authentic. You are greeted by a timber front door that is thoroughly contemporary and yet subtle about it. Inside, you blink. The combination of ancient exposed stone wall, modern artwork and light filled space is exactly what you were seeking. What sort of restoration achieved this level of equilibrium between old and new? You make a mental note to check out the architect.

The theme continues as you explore further. Balearic breezes, literally and metaphorically, float through airy rooms where colonial furniture from India hints at the exotic and pieces that are typically Mallorquin remind you where you are. It is, however, totally liveable. The kitchen is beautiful without forsaking function. Every bedroom, there are six, is different to the last but each one is bestowed with grace, charm and a lot of square metres. Architecturally, Can Lorena in a masterpiece of fusing new and old and finding an exquisite balance. Stylistically, it is achingly designer but so sophisticated that you don’t notice.

Outside is an oasis with a magnificent view. The city and its lights in that iridescent bay are down there and the horizon is the sea. But up here, you are at peace. Surrounded by mature trees. Lawned gardens to salt-water pools, shady spots and a big blue sky. Outdoor dining to the rhythm of your own tunes over the sound system, the aroma of the barbecue and the pizzas in the oven, the sunset over Palma. You might be here because the city beckons, its old town of narrow streets and pretty squares filled with tables cannot fail to delight. But you’re going to find it pretty hard to extricate yourself from the heaven that you have found. Can Lorena deserves its description – gorgeous.